Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee was given a special honour at the annual meeting of the Federation of PEI Municipalities today (April 24). He was presented with the Bruce H. Yeo Memorial Award for his outstanding contribution to municipal government.

Clifford Lee began his elected career with the City of Charlottetown as a councillor for Ward 1. He was elected as Mayor of Charlottetown in November 2003 and, now in his fourth term, is the longest serving Mayor in the history of the city.

Clifford has served as Chair of all Standing Committees of Council and also served a term as Deputy Mayor.

He created the Seniors Advisory Board, Youth Retention Advisory Board, a taskforce on Arts and Culture, Civic Board for Persons with Disabilities and the Purple Ribbon Taskforce, Arts Advisory Board, and a Family Violence Prevention Training Program that has since had international recognition.

Under his leadership, the City of Charlottetown adopted its first Integrated Community Sustainability Plan, a long-term, strategic plan that provides direction for the community to realize its sustainability objectives under environmental, economic, social and cultural pillars.

In 2005, Clifford was successful in negotiating a Birthplace Funding Agreement, which recognized the importance of Charlottetown as the Birthplace of Confederation and resulted in $2-million in funding for the City’s beautification efforts. By starting an Urban Beautification division in the Capital, Clifford played a role in the creation of the Memorial Tree and Bench programs, hanging baskets, adopt-a-corner program, and the Make Charlottetown Bloom awards. These efforts resulted in national and international recognition for the City of Charlottetown through the Communities in Bloom Program.

For more than a decade, Clifford has advocated for and spearheaded numerous economic development, tourism, culture, heritage, beautification, event attraction and sustainability initiatives that have raised the profile of Charlottetown, resulting in numerous national and international awards such as the Prince of Wales Prize in 2005, Cultural Capital of Canada in 2011, National Winner of Communities in Bloom in 2002, 2005 and 2007, International Winner of Communities in Bloom in 2016, and the 2015 CSTA Sport Tourism Organization of the Year Award – among many others.

Some of the other major projects that Clifford has been involved in during his municipal career include: creation of Confederation Landing Park; the restoration of the CN buildings on the Waterfront; the creation and restoration of the Victoria Park Boardwalk; the creation of the Wastewater Treatment Plant; the amalgamation of seven communities in 1995; the construction of three parking garages; the creation of Charlottetown Airport Industrial Park; the creation of a tax incentive program; the selection of Charlottetown as a Smart Community; the construction of the new Government of Canada Building in 2004; implementation of the first-ever transit system in 2005; creation of the Legacy Gardens; and, creation of the Veterans Gardens in East Royalty.

FPEIM President Bruce MacDougall, who presented the Bruce H. Yeo award, said Clifford has had too many accomplishments to name in the time allotted for the citation.

"Clifford has always been a strong supporter of municipal government at the local and national level," MacDougall said during the award ceremony. "Charlottetown is a much better city today because of Clifford Lee."

For more information about the Bruce H. Yeo Memorial Award or the Federation of PEI Municipalities, visit: http://fpeim.ca/